Pecan Tassies

Didn’t get enough pecan pie at Thanksgiving? A tassie is a miniature tart, and when it is as intensely sweet and superbly rich as this, it provides the perfect amount of pie. Each tassie offers a few indulgent bites of butter-drenched nuts enfolded in a cream cheese pastry. Not only are they adorable, they look splendid sitting on a tray.

1. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the butter and the cream cheese, stir in the flour, and form the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and press the pieces into the bottom and up the sides of 24 small (2-tablespoon) muffin tins.

2. In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly with the brown sugar and stir in the pecans, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Divide the filling among the pastry-lined tins, bake the tassies in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes, or until the filling is puffed slightly and the pastry is golden, and let them cool on a rack.

(To read the review for The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009 please click here)